?Beat His A**?: In a Shocker, Rory McIlroy Sets LIV Rival Free as PGA Tour Pro Becomes the Subject of His 16-Year-Old Grudge

The Irishman, Rory McIlroy, has hardly expressed dismissal in golf about anything but the Saudi-backed LIV circuit. The passion with which he has wished for the league to go away is no secret. But for once, when he had to choose between a LIV golfer and a PGA Tour pro to punch, he let go of the former.

The four-time major champion, McIlroy, is preparing for the upcoming Ryder Cup. But after 37 professional wins and 16 years of playing professional golf (he turned professional in 2007), he sure has experienced some intense gameplay moments. And one such moment still seems to haunt him, as he now goes after an “obnoxious” PGA Tour rival whom he’s “despised” forever!

Rory McIlroy treads down memory lane, thinking back about a “pretty rude” PGA Tour star

The former World No. 1 appeared two weeks before the Ryder Cup as a guest on this week’s Golf Subpar podcast and laughed at the one question asked of him. It came as part of the emergency 9 questions of the podcast, where the co-hosts, Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, ask the athletes nine fun questions about golf and life.

One tiny snippet of that segment is garnering attention on Instagram. And it can prove to be a great example of irony. What led to McIlroy’s giggling was a question regarding his match duels with Patrick Reed and Billy Horschel. The question was, Who would the Irishman like to punch out of the two? Even though Reed and the Irishman’s rivalry stems back to the 2016 Ryder Cup, where the American beat him for the win, it seems like he would this time not face the hypothetical wrath of the PGA Tour star!

Snickering, Rory answered, “Billy Horschel, and that?s saying something.” Back in 2007, McIlroy and Horschel were not friends; recalling that, the Irishman confessed that his counterpart’s behavior made him hate him.?”Oh, I absolutely despised him. We?ve actually become really close since, which is great. Billy in that ’07?we were all probably obnoxious at the time, but because I was at home as well and he was like pretty rude to the crowd at times too, and they are my people, It was like, ?I?m going to beat his a**.”

The 2007 that Rory and the co-hosts are referring to was between the US and Great Britain and Ireland, called the Walker Cup at Royal County Down. While Rory was 18 and Horschel was 20, they were both in their prime and faced each other in three out of four matches, and in the end, the Americans won.

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Like the Irishman admitted, however, now the two are close. “We actually have forged a really good friendship since,” he said, renouncing his grudge against him. “Billy?s a good dude. I like him a lot.” Their bond now seems almost impossible considering where they started 16 years ago.

The newfound friendship between rivals

Horschel also appeared on the same podcast in 2021 and shed light on the same incident, sharing his side of the story. He guessed what Rory did not like about him back in that match was him yelling at the top of his lungs and running behind the ball. Billy guessed that McIlroy was repeatedly trying to tell him that he was playing at home. However, Horschel did admit to being an emotional and fiery player.

During the Irish Open a couple of weeks earlier, Rory McIlroy was looking forward to turning things around by improving his swing and getting a handle on his muscles. And to discuss it, Billy Horschel joined him. They walked down the course, with the Irishman proving his understanding of Horschel’s swing. He welcomed the latter’s suggestion to improve his own by letting his right side move more flexibly.

Golf is a demanding sport, both physically and mentally. And players often seek each other’s assistance to do things right. What is interesting here is the coming together of this unlikely duo, but the golf world usually welcomes new friendships and partnerships. Perhaps decades later, Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel will understand each other’s passions and gameplay.

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